The Burning Point Read Free

gazes met, a jolt ran through him. He whipped his head away as if he'd been caught stealing. Better to let sleeping dogs, and ex-wives, lie. His resolution was reinforced when he saw Val Covington speaking with Kate. Of Kate's close school friends, only Val still lived in Baltimore and had been able to attend the funeral. He was glad for Kate's sake, since she needed all the support she could get, but Val and Kate together were a combination he would avoid at any price.
    The crowd thinned rapidly, speeded by rumors of snow. Donovan was considering leaving himself when he turned and saw Kate bearing down on him with a determined, let's-get-this-over-with gleam in her eyes. He stiffened, no longer sure he wanted this encounter, but it was too late to escape.
    He felt a curious duality. On the one hand, Kate was utterly familiar, the woman he'd loved with the total abandon possible only for the very young. At the same time she was a stranger, shaped by a decade of events and people he knew nothing about.
    But he would have known her anywhere, despite the years that had passed. Her coiled blond hair set off by a somber black suit, she was even lovelier than she'd been at eighteen. Of course he noticed--it was a biological reaction. They'd gotten married because of roaring mutual lust, and that hadn't evaporated merely because the marriage had ended in an explosion more devastating than dynamite.
    Halting a yard away, she said coolly, "Don't worry, I'm not armed. I thought it was time to be terribly, terribly civilized and say hello. How are you, Donovan?"
    "I've been better. The last few days..." His voice broke as he remembered the moment when the Jefferson Arms had collapsed in front of his eyes. "I'm so damned sorry about Sam, Kate. Losing a parent changes...everything." As he knew from hard experience. He'd lost both his parents before he turned seventeen.
    "I'm learning that." Her lids dropped over her shadowed eyes for a moment, concealing any vulnerability. "But you're as entitled to condolences as I. You saw him every day. His death will leave a much larger hole in your life."
    She was right; Sam had been probably the most important person in his world. He stared at the glass in his right hand. "Hard to imagine PDI without Sam. He wasn't just the founder, but the heart and soul of the place."
    She took a sip of white wine. "How did the accident happen? I thought that caution was the official religion of Phoenix Demolition."
    "Damned if I know, Kate. We were taking down an old apartment building outside of Washington. Strictly a routine job. Something triggered the blast when Sam was making the final sweep."
    "Any idea what set off the charges?"
    He shook his head in frustration. "I really don't know. Some stray electricity, I suppose. That's always a danger when there's a cold, dry wind, but even so, it shouldn't have happened. The state fire marshal is investigating, but so far no conclusions."
    "I'm sorry, Donovan. Both that he's dead, and that you were there. It must have been a nightmare."
    The image of the collapsing building seared his mind again, as it had done repeatedly for three days. "I keep wondering if there was something I could have done."
    "Maybe it's better not to know." She glanced down at her wineglass, subtle highlights shimmering across her glossy blond hair. Several heartbeats passed before she raised her head. "You're looking well." Her gaze went over his formal suit. Quite a bit different from the jeans she'd usually seen him in. "You've made the transition from wrecker to executive very nicely."
    "Don't let the outfit fool you. I'm really just a construction worker." He offered a tentative smile. "Or rather, destruction worker."
    So politely that he wasn't sure if it was a dig, she said, "Quite in line with your natural talents." She started to turn away. "Good to see you. Now if you'll excuse me, there are some other people I must talk to."
    "Wait." He raised a hand, suddenly unable to let her go